Rice University
2-7
Lamar
4-6
Rice Falls at Lamar, 66-49
12/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2007
BEAUMONT - After whittling a 25-point, second-half Lamar lead down to seven, Rice was held scoreless over the final 3:40 of play as the Cardinals posted a 66-49 win over the Owls in the Montagne Center Saturday.
After cutting the Cards' lead down to seven, Rice went 0-for-5 from the field and turned the ball over five times in the game's final minutes. With the loss, the Owls dropped to 2-7 on the year. Lamar improved to 4-6 in ending a six-game Rice winning streak in the series.
Midway through the second half, the Cardinals looked to run time off the clock after stretching out a 47-26 lead they enjoyed at halftime.
The Owls' biggest lead came at the 16:23 mark, 53-28.
Patrick Britton, who did not have a field goal attempt in the first half after sitting much of the period with two fouls, scored a team-high 11 after the break to help spark a comeback. The game was Britton's 100th career contest at Rice.
Bryan Beasley's tip of a Lamar pass, steal and fastbreak layup narrowed the gap to single figures, 55-46 with 6:39 remaining. Jasen Williams' two free throws with 5:06 to play capped an 11-point Rice run, cutting the Cards' lead to 55-48.
Lamar would finally break stop the Owls' rally as Darren Hopkins drove baseline and beat the shot clock for a layin. From there, the Cardinals went on to outscore Rice 9-1.
The Cards were led by Brandon McThay who scored all of his game-high 13 points in the first half. McThay was 5-for-7 from the field and made 3-of-4 three-point attempts. Lawrence Nwevo added 11 points. Paulius Packevicius scored 10 points and posted his fifth, double-double of the season by finishing with 11 rebounds.
Lamar built as large as a 21-point lead in the first half, enjoying a 47-26 lead at intermission.
The Cardinals jumped out to an early 20-6 lead when Mathew Barrow knocked down one of Lamar's six, first-half three-pointers. Rice would cut the Cards' original double-digit lead to as few as seven, 26-19, but McThay would spark the home team with a first-half stretch in which he scored 10 points in about four minutes' time. His three-pointer with 4:08 to play in the period gave Lamar a 36-21 lead.
Rice freshman Suleiman Braimoh would score on a fastbreak dunk. The points came off a pass from Williams, who tracked down a loose ball near midcourt, but Lamar would score seven unanswered to stretch the lead out to 20, 43-23. Kenny Dawkins capped the run when he pulled up and hit a three-pointer. The trey came on a fast break following a Rice turnover.
The Owls turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, leading to 20 Lamar points.
Chance Talbert, who joined the Owls from the football program in early December, saw his most significant playing time. He converted a 1-and-1 for his first career points and later hit the front end of a two, free-throw situation as Rice cut the lead to 43-26 with 46 seconds left in the period. But the Cards would score the half's final four points.
Rice is back in action next Saturday when the Owls play host to TCU in the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy. Lamar also returns to action Dec. 29th when it takes on Lyon College in Beaumont.
Airwaves Change: Dues to ESPN 97.5 The Ticket's obligations to broadcast the Bowl Championship Series games, the Owls' game at Vanderbilt on Jan. 3 will be broadcast by NewsTalk 1070 KNTH-AM. Tip-off for the Vanderbilt game is slated for 7 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.
